Jointed lumber



May 24, 1932.

J. K. GRUNER JOI NTED LUMBER Filed May 14. 1930 I [an 47v 70/? MAY) /f. 620/144- 5y Ew n! Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAY K. GRUNER, OF ST. LOUIS, IvIISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO I. K. GRUNER LUMBER COM- PANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI JOINTED LUMBER Application filed May 14,

My invention relates to improvements in jointed lumber, and has for its primary object a board or piece of lumber which is provided along its sides with a double tongue ano groove.

A further object is to construct jointed lumber having a double tongue and groove along each edge which tongues and grooves are so arranged that by a simple turn of the board about its longitudinal axis, either face can be brought uppermost and still have the tongues and grooves fit into each other.

A further object is to construct jointed lumber having a beveled surface for exact blind nailing; the nailing space or surface acting as a guide for the proper angle of the nail.

A still further object is to construct jointed lumber provided with a nailing surface which surface is so arranged that the nail when being driven will pass through the body portion of the board thus preventing the splitting of any of the tongues.

A still further object is to construct jointed lumber so that end matching is unnecessary.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmental view of two adjacent boards showing the tongues and grooves inter-locked and illustrated in the manner of nailing.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of a complete board showing the shape of the tongues and grooves, and,

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view of a floor laid with my jointed lumber.

In the construction of my lumber, I employ a board 4. This board may be of any of the various kinds of lumber and it is preferably finished on four sides. The board is provided with smooth top and bottom faces or surfaces 5 and 6. The edge 7 is also planed and at a short distance below the face 5 is a chamfered or inclined portion 8. Adjacent the inclined portion 8 is a groove 9 and adjacent this groove 9 is a tongue 10 preferably terminating in the same plane as the free end of the tongue 7. A chamfered or inclined portion 11 is formed on the face of the tongue preferably parallel to the surface 8 which inclined portion leads to a vertical edge 12.

1930. Serial No. 452,222

It will be noted that the groove 9 is slightly wider and deeper than the tongue 10. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 so that when two boards are secured together, spaces 13 and 14 will be left between the bottom of the interfitted tongue and groove and between the beveled portions and adjacent surfaces of the same. These spaces may be left open as illustrated in Fig. l or packing material such as felt, paper or similar resilient material can be used and thus make an absolutely air and water-tight joint.

15 represents a vertical edge formed on the opposite side of the board from the edge 7 and from the opposite face 6. 16 represents an inclined face similar to the face 8. 17 is a groove corresponding to the groove 9. 18 is a tongue the same as the tongue 10. 19 is an inclined face same as the face 11, and 20 a vertical face same as the face 12.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the corresponding tongues, grooves and beveled faces on the two edges of each board are of the same corresponding size, but arranged in opposite directions, so that no matter which face of the board is uppermost or the board turned end for end the edges of adjacent boards will always {it together with the same clearance between predetermined opposed sur faces.

The inclined faces 11 or 19 are used as nailing faces as shown in Fig. 1 to receive the nail 21. The nail is to be driven at right angles to this face, so therefore, it acts as a guide for the proper positioning of the nai It will also be noted from Fig. 1 that the nail when driven through the board 4 and into the joist 22, does not pass through the tongue 18, but through the body portion of the board. This is a feature impossible with the ordinary tongue and groove, because there the nail is inserted intothe wood at the point where the tongue meets the edge of the board and consequently, there is always danger of splitting the tongue at that point, thus causing a weak joint.

The tongues and grooves are so arranged that the tongues along one side or edge of the board will enter grooves of the adjacent board and the topmost face only, of the lower or intermediate tongue Will bear against the under face of the corresponding tongue of the adjacent board and support said second board and present a truly smooth surface across the top of adjacent boards. This makes it unnecessary to do end matching, so that the ends of the boards both project partly over the joist as illustrated in Fig. 3, but by my construction, it is possible to have the ends project beyond the joist and still have a rigid floor.

This makes my lumber especially useful for factory floors, roofing and various other uses where tight joints are required, and due to the fact that it is not necessary to have all the boards the same length so that the ends will be supported on the joist, a tremendous saving in labor is possible, because the carpenters time is not taken up with sawing off the boards. This also causes a considerable saving in material, because there are no waste ends.

By my peculiar construction of lumber with the double tongue and groove arrangement disclosed, I provide what may be termed a weather strip because my peculiar joint provides at least twice the resistance from passage of elements through the joint than the ordinary single tongue and groove and this weather stripping effect is accomplished without the necessity of using any packing whatsoever.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. Jointed lumber comprising boards each having at the side edges thereof a pair of longitudinally extending tongues with an intermediate groove therebetween and deeper from said side edges than said tongues, and a second groove extending from one face of each board to the adjacent tongue and of less depth than said other groove, said tongues being of less height than said corresponding grooves, whereby when adjacent boards are interfitted with the tongues of one board in the grooves of the other board, each board will substantially be supported by the top side only of one of the tongues of the adjacent board.

2. Jointed lumber comprising boards having top and bottom faces and side edges, a pair of vertically spaced longitudinally extending tongues at each side edge and with a groove therebetween, said tongues being so positioned that only one of them at each edge is spaced vertically from both of the faces of the board, the mid-horizontal surfaces of the last-mentioned tongues of adjoined boards being substantially in supporting engagement, said grooves being higher than said tongues, whereby when either face of the boards are uppermost the boards may be moved laterally toward one another with the tongues of one board entering the grooves of signature.

JAY K. GRUNER. 

